Certain embodiments of the present invention generally relate to a connector for interconnecting coaxial cables and more particularly to a connector having contacts arranged in a strip line geometry. Certain embodiments of the present invention generally relate to a ground shield and center contact arrangement for a connector.
In the past, connectors have been proposed for interconnecting coaxial cables. Generally, coaxial cables have a circular geometry formed with a central conductor (of one or more conductive wires) surrounded by a cable dielectric material. The dielectric material is surrounded by a cable braid (of one or more conductive wires), and the cable braid is surrounded by a cable jacket. In most coaxial cable applications, it is preferable to match the impedance between source and destination electrical components located at opposite ends of the coaxial cable. Consequently, when sections of coaxial cable are interconnected, it is preferable that the impedance remain matched through the interconnection.
Today, coaxial cables are becoming more widely used. The wider applicability of coaxial cables demands a high-volume, low-cost manufacturing process for coaxial cable connectors. Recently, demand has arisen for radio frequency (RF) coaxial cables in applications such as the automotive industry. The demand for RF coaxial cables in the automotive industry is due in part to the increased electrical content within automobiles, such as AM/FM radios, cellular phones, GPS, satellite radios, Blue Tooth™ compatibility systems and the like. Also, conventional techniques for assembling coaxial cables and connectors are not suitable for automation, and thus are time consuming and expensive. The conventional procedure for assembling a connector and coaxial cable is not easily automated and requires several manual steps that render the procedure time consuming and expensive.
Today's increased demand for coaxial cables has caused a need to improve the design for coaxial connectors and the methods of manufacture and assembly thereof.